The Filipino Press: February 9-15, 2024

MANILA -- Senator Mark Villar said Wednesday it is high time to push the development of the bamboo industry, which is expected to contribute USD3.5 billion to the Philippine economy. Villar made this remark as he pushed for the enactment of Senate Bill (SB) 2513 or the Institutionalization of the Bamboo Industry Development in the Philippines or the Kawayan Act.

“Through the Kawayan Act, we can look forward to a Philippine economy that stands as mighty and grows as rapidly as bamboo does. Similarly, the development of our bamboo industry mirrors the persisting Filipino resilience amid various challenges. No matter what hinders us, no matter what sways and bends us, we will continue to push forward towards progress and development,” Villar said in his sponsorship speech. He cited the research and development programs being carried out by the departments of science and technology, trade, environment, and agriculture in an attempt “to address the insufficiency of information and data resources, among others.”

“Yet, these initiatives are fragmented and this is worsened by the perception of the private sector for a lack of a functional governmental body overseeing the development of the industry, which thus hinders its optimization,” he added.

To address these concerns, the Kawayan Act seeks to institutionalize the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council, which was created by Executive Order 879, to

serve as the central body for overall policy and program direction for all bamboo stakeholders.

The Council is also mandated to formulate and implement the

SB 2513 also seeks to further provide a comprehensive approach to the development of the bamboo

industry as its provisions mandate the departments of environment, trade, science and technology, tourism, and education and their attached agencies to use bamboo in government

programs and to scale up the use, investment promotions, research, and development of bamboo.

"The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Roadmap will be guided with actionable, timebound, and realistic objectives that are aligned with the Philippine Development Plan, in which the former will include substantial and attractive incentives to encourage investments in the bamboo industry," he said.

Villar cited multiple economic potentials and environmental values of the bamboo industry, including its trade value, which is expected to reach USD88.43 billion by 2030, among others.

He added that aside from the USD3.5 billion the industry is expected to contribute to the economy, bamboo also has efficient pollution control capacity as it releases 38 percent more oxygen than trees and sequesters 12 tons to 17 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare.

PH expects good harvest, adequate supply of onions in 2024

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is taking steps to improve the production of quality onions in the country, including partnering with local government units in undertaking information awareness and training programs.

In a news release on Friday, the

SAN DIEGO, CA -- The Balboa

(SUP), effective January 1, 2024, that allows further collaboration between

agreement include:

"Balboa Park is one of San Diego’s most beloved treasures enjoyed by residents from across the region and around the world,” says Mayor Todd Gloria. “The signing of this agreement signals San Diego’s ongoing commitment to invest in the quality of life and economic benefits that Balboa Park creates. We are grateful for the partnership of Forever Balboa Park, whose 300plus volunteers donate their time and talent to improve the park for all of us."

Forever Balboa Park is in its third year of operation after a merger between its longstanding predecessor organizations Friends of Balboa Park and the Balboa Park Conservancy. Forever Balboa Park works in all corners of the park, serving as front line ambassador for the park and making tangible improvements in the visitor experience. Examples of projects in the new three-year

* 7-day-a-week visitor and information services to the 4.5+ million visitors each year through the Balboa Park Visitors Center

* Care for the 16,000+ trees that make up Balboa Park's urban forest in support of the city's climate action goals

* Stewardship of the18+ public gardens and historic landscapes in the park, protecting the public horticultural collection and open spaces

* Improved interpretation, repair, and maintenance of Balboa Park’s 60 miles of trails, increasing equitable access to outdoor recreation and learning

* Restoration of the historic assets in the park, such as the gardens, the Dorothea Laub Balboa Park Carousel, and the House of Hospitality

* Enhanced learning and placemaking experiences in the open spaces of the park, deepening

people's connections to and appreciation of the park.

While being handled through a separate approval and permitting process, Forever Balboa Park is also restoring the exterior gardens at the iconic Botanical Building and Gardens through its signature capital campaign, and its volunteer corps will care for the new gardens once installed.

The work Forever Balboa Park does in

By Selen Ozturk/eMS

As devastating layoffs and growing news deserts fuel uncertainty about the future of journalism, what can save local media?

As devastating layoffs and growing news deserts fuel uncertainty about the future of journalism, what can save local media?

At a Friday, February 2 Ethnic Media Services briefing, local news policy advocates and ethnic media publishers shared their views on the role of local journalism against the growing news crisis, and discussed legislative policies to rescue local journalism.

Addressing the crisis

The crisis in local news is accelerating nationwide, said Steven Waldman, founder and president of Rebuild Local News and co-founder and former president of Report for America.

An annual State of Local News report from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism found that the loss of local newspapers accelerated to two and a half per week in 2023, leaving over 200 counties as “news deserts” and over half of U.S. counties with limited access to reliable local news, with another 228 counties at “high risk” of losing local news.

Although there is a consensus that “government support should not be the primary support for news” as this can potentially “undermine independence of the press, we’re seeing that some policies are clearly needed,” said Waldman.

Advertising to local newspapers declined 82% — a $40 billion drop — since 2000, according to the Pew Research Center.

One such policy is government-

backed advertising more heavily invested in local journalism.

In New York City, for example, the City Council passed a CUNY proposal that half the advertising money the city spent would benefit community media, which led to a $9.9 million shift of funds for the sector — nearly 84% of the city’s total print and ad budget.

Other such policies include tax credit proposals, said Waldman.

On the state level, this involves tax credit for small businesses that advertise in local news. Federally, the Community News and Small Business Support Act (HR-4756), which is currently in Congress, is an employment tax credit of up to $25,000 per head for editorial staff.

The Australian-Canadian model

One major proposal is a bargaining code requiring tech platforms like social media/companies to compensate news organizations for use of content: in Canada this takes the form of the Online News Act (C-18) passed in 2022, and in Australia, the News Media Bargaining Code passed in 2021.

Ryan Adam, Vice President of

Government and Public Relations for the Toronto Star — Canada’s largest newspaper — said, “You see now with the LA Times and Washington Post layoffs, having a benevolent rich owner isn’t enough. And that’s because the business model for news is broken on the advertising side.”

“80% of our own revenue used to come from ads and 20% from subscriptions,” he continued, “but in the last 15 years, with the ability of Google and Meta to use our content to drive advertising, a great deal of that 80% has gone.”

Now, three years into the Australian bill, “tech platforms are holding up their end of some lucrative content deals. Revenue bleeding has stopped, and people are starting to think of journalism as a growing industry,” said Adam, who advocated for the passage of the Canadian bill modeled upon it’s Australian predecessor.

Likewise for the Canadian model, he added, “A lack of any governmentindependent news is not built to last,

Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Roadmap.

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Nangyayari ang pagnanakaw ng pagkakakilanlan sa bawat komunidad, kaya kumuha ng tulong sa iyong wika

Malamang na may kilala kang nakaranas ng pagnanakaw ng pagkakakilanlan. Iyon ay kapag may isang taong gumagamit ng iyong personal o pinansyal na impormasyon nang wala ang iyong pahintulot para gawin ang panloloko. Maaari itong mangyari kaninuman, sa anumang komunidad. Kaya paano ka makakakuha ng tulong sa iyong wika?

Tingnan ang bagong publikasyon na Paano Makikita, Maiiwasan, at Maire-report ang Pagnanakaw ng Pagkakakilanlan sa Iyong Wika sa ftc.gov/languages. Alamin kung ano ang pagnanakaw ng pagkakakilanlan, paano ito makikita, ano ang magagawa mo para maprotektahan ang iyong pagkakakilanlan, at kung saan ito ire-report at makakakuha ng tulong. Para mag-order ng mga libreng kopya sa Ingles, Espanyol, Pinasimpleng Tsino, Koreano, o Vietnamese para maibahagi sa iba, bumisita sa ftc.gov/bulkorder. Makakagawa ka ng pagkakaiba sa iyong komunidad sa pamamagitan ng pagbabahagi ng impormasyong ito sa mga taong kinakailangang malaman kung paano mapoprotektahan ang kanilang impormasyon — at kung ano ang gagawin kung may pinaghihinalaan silang pagnanakaw ng pagkakakilanlan.

At ngayon, mas madali na higit kailanman ang mag-report ng pagnanakaw ng pagkakakilanlan sa FTC sa mas gusto mong wika. Kapag ikinukuwento mo ang iyong istorya, nakakakuha ka rin ng tulong sa kung ano ang susunod mong gagawin. Para mag-report sa Ingles, pumunta sa IdentityTheft.gov. Sa Espanyol, bumisita sa RobodeIdentidad.gov. Kung gusto mong mag-report ng pagnanakaw ng pagkakakilanlan sa iba pang mga wika, tumawag sa (877) 4384338 sa pagitan ng 9am-5pm Eastern Time. Pindutin ang 3 para piliin ang iyong wika at kumonekta sa isang interpreter na kukuha ng iyong report.

Ipinapakita sa pananaliksik na nagbibigay ng mas higit pang tiwala ang mga tao sa impormasyong nakukuha nila sa mga taong pinagkakatiwalaan nila. Kaya: mangyaring ibahagi ang nalalaman mo sa pamilya at mga kaibigan sa iyong mga komunidad.

2024 Presidensyal na Primaryang Eleksyon

Boboto para sa presidente? Ang inyong rehistrasyon para sa pampulitikang partido ang tutukoy kung sinong mga presidensyal na kandidato ang makikita sa inyong balota. Matuto nang higit pa sa sdvote.com.

Ang bawat aktibong rehistradong botante sa County ng San Diego ay makakatanggap ng balota sa koreo sa linggo ng Ika-4 ng Pebrero.

Kumpletuhin ang inyong balota sa ginhawa ng inyong tahanan. Pirmahan, at petsahan ang inyong sobreng pagbabalikan, i-seal ang inyong nakumpletong balota sa loob, at ibalik ito sa pamamagitan ng U.S. Postal Service - hindi kinakailangan ng selyo!

Ibalik ang inyong balota sa alinmang opisyal na mga ballot drop box ng Tagapagrehistro sa buong county na magsisimula sa Martes, Ika-6 ng Pebrero hanggang sa Araw ng Eleksyon, Martes, Ika-5 ng Marso. Iwasan ang mahahabang pila sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng benepisyo sa maagang pagboto! Simula Sabado, Ika-24 ng Pebrero, magbubukas araw-araw ang mga vote center mula ika-8 ng umaga hanggang ika-5 ng hapon hanggang Lunes, Ika-4 ng Marso. Sa Araw ng Eleksyon, Martes, Ika-5 ng Marso, ang mga oras ng botohan ay mag-iiba mula ika-7 ng umaga hanggang ika-8 ng gabi.

Humanap ng ballot drop box o vote center na malapit sa inyo sa sdvote.com

PNP won’t enforce possible ICC arrest warrant vs Duterte -- spox

MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it will not enforce the possible arrest warrant that will be issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo was asked if the police organization will not enforce the arrest warrant against Duterte in case the ICC issues it.

“Yes, because there is already a question of jurisdiction kasi ito ay sa tingin natin ay panghihimasok sa sovereignty ng ating bansa,” Fajardo said.

“At lagi nating sinasabi hindi lang on the eyes of the PNP pati na rin sa mga concerned government agencies, na ang judicial system natin is working,” she added.

Fajardo made the statement after former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte told him he received information that he may be arrested any time in connection with the ICC’s probe into his administration’s drug war.

In January this year, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said a warrant of arrest is expected to be issued soon against Duterte and other respondents under ICC’s probe.

Trillanes said the ICC probers arrived in the country in December 2023 and were able to conduct interviews with concerned individuals.

He added that the said investigators of the international body have finished gathering information on Duterte and the others involved.

Under Duterte’s administration, the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, the treaty that established the ICC.

This came after the tribunal began a probe into the drug war, followed by a formal inquiry in September 2021.

In January 2023, the ICC authorized reopening the inquiry after it was suspended in November 2021.

The ICC Appeals Chamber in July 2023 also denied the government’s appeal against the resumption of the inquiry.

In November 2023, however, Marcos said that returning into the fold of the international tribunal is “under study” even though he maintained that there are “problems” on the issue of jurisdiction.

Under the drug war, at least 6,200 suspects were killed in police operations based on government records. Human rights groups, however, claimed the actual death toll could be from 12,000 to 30,000.

PNP eyes cybersecurity desks to boost fight vs. online crimes Police stations across the country will soon have cybersecurity desks that would handle cybercrimes, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said this is in compliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to boost a crackdown on cybercrimes, which are on the rise in this age of digital technology.

“However, sa ngayon kasi ay hindi lahat ng (currently, not all of our) police investigators assigned in station level are trained to respond

to any cyber-related crimes kaya sa ngayon ay (so for now), ongoing the training na kinoconduct ng (being conducted by our) RACUs (Regional Anti-Cybercrime Units),” she said.

Fajardo said that in Calabarzon, some 52 personnel have already completed a training on introduction to cybercrimes while police offices in other regions have yet to schedule training.

She said the PNP targets to complete all cybercrime-related training for police officers this year.

“We are talking about local trainings. These are different from the ones given by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and our foreign counterparts. We also have those given by our investigators assigned to the ACG (Anti Cybercrime Group). We need to capacitate first our investigators and of course, we need to upgrade our ICT (information and communications technology) personnel to make sure that they are responsive on the latest cyber-related crimes that were recorded from the police station, provincial up to the regional level,” she added.

Based on the PNP's latest data, online scam cases topped the list of cybercrimes logged in 2023 at 14,030, followed by identity theft at 2,804 and cyberlibel at 1,182.

Other cybercrimes logged in the past year include online threats (552); data interference (412), computerrelated fraud (171), love scams (168), sextortion (121), and online violence against women and children (32).

Meanwhile, Col. Jay Guillermo, chief of the Cyber Response Unit of the PNP-ACG, said cybercrime syndicates have been taking advantage of strict security rules of condominium buildings and gated subdivisions to cover up their illegal activities.

Guillermo said this is one of the difficulties they are facing in running after cybercrime syndicates operating in the country, including those engaged in love scams.

"When we conducted in the past, we found out that part of the love scam was the setting up of a call center-like office. They are renting in big condominiums and subdivisions where policemen could not easily enter. While we are conducting the investigation, our fear is that by the time we are able to comply with the requirements for the conduct investigation inside, our targets are already gone,” he added.

Guillermo said there is no specific law that may be used to run after the owners of condominium units and houses in subdivisions that were used for illegal activities.

He said the enactment of a law that would hold owners accountable if their properties were found used in illegal activities would boost the government's law enforcement capability.

Ex-CJ Davide: Amending Constitution a 'cha-cha dance to hell' Retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on Monday stood firm that there are no valid reasons to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying that doing so would be a cha-cha dance to the grave or to hell.

Davide, who was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that crafted the Constitution, said that amending some of its economic

provisions would bring “more serious and disturbing problems” to the country.

“Our problems are not due to the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution. They cannot be solved by removing these restrictive economic provisions and completely leaving to Congress the future under the clause ‘unless otherwise provided by law,’” the ex-Chief Justice said during the hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes.

“On the contrary, they would create more serious and disturbing problems and consequences,” he added.

The Senate is currently conducting a hearing on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, which proposes amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, particularly on Articles XII, XIV and XVI.

Constitutional provisions on public services, education, and advertising industry are specifically sought to be amended by adding the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law."

Davide pointed out that what the country and the Filipinos need today are not amendments to or revision of the Constitution, but the full implementation of its principles and state policies.

“I will not hesitate to say again that amendments to or revision of the Constitution at this time would be a lethal experiment, a fatal hit, a plunge to death,” he said.

“It would be a cha-cha dance to the grave or to hell. It would be a cruel punishment for a God-loving, patriotic, and nationalistic people. It would be claiming our people to foreign domination or control. God forbid that we now amend our Constitution.”

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said during the same hearing that the Senate “will not be falling into a trap on any deadline” with regards to the deliberations on RBH 6. “[T]o discuss such an important matter needs time, it needs study. It cannot be rushed like any regular bill that is just approved without thinking,” Zubiri said. (MNS)

OPAPRU: Amnesty key to better lives, opportunities for exrebels

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Wednesday emphasized the importance of granting amnesty to members of revolutionary groups who have committed crimes in pursuit of their political beliefs.

“Amnesty does not only extinguish criminal liability for the acts committed by these former rebels. It creates a path toward their full transformation and enables them to return to mainstream society,” Galvez said in a statement.

During Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace Unification and Reconciliation, the government's peace adviser also said amnesty would be the key to building a better and brighter future for members of revolutionary groups, their families, and their communities.

Galvez also noted that despite the strong desire of members

MANILA -- The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has been a game changer in the country’s 52-yearold fight against communist terrorism and abolishing it would be an improper move for the government, an official of the National Security Council (NSC) said Friday.

This, after visiting United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan recommended the task force's termination.

“With the strategic victory over the New People’s Army (NPA) and the exploratory peace talks with CPPNPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's ArmyNational Democratic Front), it would not be proper at this time to abolish the NTF-ELCAC,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a media forum.

Currently, there are only 1,500 armed regulars of the NPA and 11 weakened guerilla fronts, he added.

On Dec. 4, 2018, former President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 70 forming the NTFELCAC to respond and raise awareness of the ongoing communist rebellion in the country.

Department of Justice

Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said they explained to Khan that the NTFELCAC is a creation of the government as an act of defense in the exercise of its sovereign powers and rights.

“We mentioned to her that the right to sovereignty is actually the cornerstone and the foundation of the United Nations Charter and she acceded to that proposition,” he added.

Khan was also informed that there is no order, policy issuance, or law on red-tagging in connection with the NTF-ELCAC.

Malaya said persons who fear being red-tagged can file libel or oral defamation cases in court. Public officers who may be victims of red-tagging can file cases with the Ombudsman or Civil Service Commission.

“Now that we’ve reached this stage in the campaign, we feel it is improper to call for its abolition and it would be best if necessary to undertake the transition,” he said.

He added that the NTF-ELCAC’s roadmap is to transition into a different body — the National Task Force on Unity Peace and Development — that will take charge of continuing development projects in the areas that were impoverished and neglected due to communist conflict.

Vasquez emphasized that Khan’s recommendation is preliminary and the final report will come months later.

“In fact, she herself opened a channel for continuing dialogues and engagements to further clarify,” he said.

“There was also an agreement between her and the State, that indeed the 10-day visit has so many limitations and that's why she herself said there’s a need for a longer time to refine the report.”

National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año, meanwhile, said they "respectfully disagree" with Khan’s recommendation to abolish the antiinsurgency task force.

"We are already at strategic victory in our campaign against the CPPNPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's ArmyNational Democratic Front) and to turn back now will be counterproductive and would render moot the 'whole of

nation' approach that has been very successful in breaking the back of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the past five years," he added. Año also noted that the communist insurgents are not yet eradicated as there are still 11 weakened guerrilla fronts across the country with some 1,500 armed fighters seeking to overthrow the government and wreak havoc and sow terrorism in the countryside.

"Once all guerilla fronts have been dismantled – hopefully this year – the NTF ELCAC intends to transition to an NTF-Unity Peace and Development (body) but not a day sooner. We have relayed this position to UNSR Irene Khan during the exit conference this morning and we hope she will consider this in her final report," he added.

PAGASA: More provinces to have drought in February

With the El Niño phenomenon expected to peak this month, over 35% to 50% of the country may experience below-normal rainfall conditions as more provinces begin to cope with drought.

The reduced rainfall may intensify dry spells and drought in several parts of the country within the first quarter of the year, according to PAGASA's El Niño Advisory issued on Tuesday.

"By the end of February, twentyfour (24) provinces in Luzon and one (1) province in Visayas are potential for meteorological drought conditions; seventeen (17) provinces for dry spell, while, ten (10) provinces will be potential for dry conditions," the state weather bureau said.

PAGASA expects a worse situation compared to its assessment of the affected provinces in January 2024, when a total of 14 provinces experienced drought, 10 had dry spells, and 17 had dry conditions.

The state weather bureau predicted that the following areas would be affected by the end of the month:

Drought

Three consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall condition; greater than 80% reduction from average rainfall

Luzon: Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Bataan, Benguet, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Metro Manila, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Pangasinan, Quirino, Rizal, Zambales Visayas: Negros Occidental

Dry Spell

Three consecutive months of below normal rainfall condition; 21-60% reduction from average rainfall

Luzon: Batangas, Laguna, Masbate, Oriental Mindoro

Visayas: Antique, Biliran, Capiz, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Samar

Mindanao: Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi

Dry Conditions

Two consecutive months of below normal rainfall condition (21-60% reduction from average rainfall

Luzon: Bulacan

Visayas: Bohol, Siquijor, Southern Leyte

Mindanao: Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay

San Jose town in Occidental

Mindoro was a sweltering 36.0 degrees

Celsius on Jan. 7, beating its previous

historic maximum temperature record of 35.5 degrees Celsius.

Very few tropical cyclones

While one or no tropical cyclone may occur within the month, the country will still feel the effects of the Amihan or Northeast Monsoon, localized thunderstorms, shear lines, easterlies and low-pressure areas.

Meanwhile, generally warmer temperatures with surges of cold due to the Amihan are expected in the rest of February, except in Batanes, Camarines Norte, Romblon, Masbate, Bohol, Southern Leyte, and South Cotabato. Metro Manila may feel temperatures from 18.5 to 35.0 degrees Celsius.

According to the PAGASA bulletin, the El Niño phenomenon is expected to persist through March to May, with a transition to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-Neutral conditions from April to June.

Conserve water as dam levels continue to drop -- PAGASA

A hydrologist on Thursday called on the public, especially Metro Manila residents, to conserve water as dam levels continue to decrease.

Angat Dam, which supplies 98 percent of the potable water in Metro Manila through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, has seen an average drop of 0.9 meter in its water level from Feb. 1 to 8, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Sonia Serrano said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

Serrano said most of the dams' water levels have been on a downward trend since January.

As of Feb. 8, Angat's water level is at 209 meters, 0.21 meter lower than the previous day; Binga is at 571.88 meters (0.62 meter lower); San Roque, at 249.04 meters (0.27 meter lower); Pantabangan, 191.56 meters (0.27 meter lower); Magat, at 182.29 meters (0.38 meter lower), and Caliraya, at 287.24 meters (0.16 meter lower).

All dams are below their normal water levels, which is 212 meters for Angat; 575 meters for Binga; 280 meters for San Roque; 221 meters for Pantabangan; 193 meters for Magat; 288 meters for Caliraya; 80.15 meters for La Mesa; and 752 meters for Ambuklao.

However, La Mesa's and Ambuklao's water levels increased in the past 24 hours, with La Mesa’s level rising by 0.10 meter to 77.89 meters, and Ambuklao’s level up by 0.02 meter to750.91 meters.

Earlier in January, PAGASA said the decrease in water level of some dams is likely to continue unless the country experiences a strong tropical cyclone.

A decrease in rainfall due to El Niño is a contributing factor to the dam water level's downward trend.

"There is a huge difference between PAGASA's forecast rainfall in the dams in February 2024 compared to February 2023," Serrano said. Forecast rainfall for Angat is 72.3 mm. in February 2024, compared to 100 mm. in the same month last year; San Roque, 10.6 mm. (compared to 28.6 mm.); Pantabangan, 50.3 mm. (compared to 80.4 mm.); and Magat, 23.8 mm. (compared to 47.10 mm.).

"Turning off the faucet while brushing the teeth looks too simple, but will create a big impact when done altogether," Serrano said.

She also advised the use of recycled water to flush toilets, and minimizing the amount of water used for showering and cleaning. (MNS)

LOVE MONTH. The famous Dangwa flower market in Sampaloc, Manila is teeming with fresh roses. The area is expected to get busier as Valentine's Day approaches. (MNS photo)

“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.” - Thomas Jefferson U.S. President

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – We all have our own version of the perfect family. Your concept may be similar to or totally different from mine. But regardless of the family you want or have, your family and my family meet similar needs. They create a bridge between loneliness and love, isolation and companionship, grief and comfort. And they carry us from darkness into light, from despair into hope, from sorrow into happiness.

Some people claim the family is an endangered species. The family is not dying, but it is changing and adapting. According to the American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, “No matter how many communes anybody invents, the family always creeps back.”

Not surprising, as the family was created and ordained by God.

Family relationships involve complex patterns of companionship that don’t always involve sharing the same house or the same bloodlines. Living arrangements are as diverse as families. The important thing is to feel like a family and act like a family. A real family has an attitude of concern and tender, loving care for each of its members, regardless of kinship.

What is the perfect family for you? I can’t describe it but I can tell you something about it. I believe the closest you will ever come to having a perfect family is the family you have right now. If you didn’t make the right choices in the past, work to make your picks right in the present. You might fantasize about how much better your family would be if you had a different spouse or a contrary set of circumstances, but that only prevents you from appreciating the value of what you have right now. A new situation might eliminate some of your current problems, but also presents new issues, complicated by the pain of the disposal of the old.

Moving on, please allow me to introduce you – my dear readersto my family as introductions are important. Zeny, after our family’s dozen overseas deployments, 18 moves and a job that kept her in touch with hundreds of military wives like her – I’ve learned to recognize her as the greatest wife in the world – a Navy wife with a happy life – that you can spot from a mile away. Zeny and I have been married for over 53 years now, and we have three wonderful sonsRyan, Rommel and Randy. With the

exception of our eldest who chose a lifestyle of being a successful, single professional in the Department of Defense work force - our two other boys married, and each new spouse brought into our family a wonderful legacy of love. Each new family opened a new world of interests and opportunities, while sharing the same Filipino cultural heritage and values and ideals that we all hold dear. Indeed, they changed their lives as well as ours when they brought another family into our extended family relationships.

Truly, my wife and I have been richly blessed through our family, and that I can proudly declare with all honesty. I believe in the adage that “The best thing a father can do for the emotional health and strength of his children is to love their mother.” I know it’s not a blueprint that guarantees success, but it has certainly worked for us both. And I add “Amen” to that, too!

My wife Zeny and I have always celebrated December 26, 1970. We were married on a nice, warm Manila Day in a typical Filipino Catholic (“Our Lady of Fatima”) church in Bacood, Santa Mesa by a wonderful, caring “kababayan” priest, Father Arsenio Bautista, with family and dear friends (including an American shipmate of mine named Kevin who flew all the way from Guam) witnessing the event. Our first dinner as a married couple was at the then Golden Peacock Restaurant in the “VIP” building fronting the American Embassy in what is now Roxas Boulevard. It may sound very ordinary to you, my dear folks, but it was very special to us.

Zeny and I have celebrated literally hundreds of times in our marriage and family life; some were elaborate and many were simply mini-festivities. But none heralds my joy more than remembering the solemnization of the beginning of our love and marriage and those of our children - to commemorate what we trust will be long, happy married lives.

The wedding of our son Rommel and his wife, Abigail was our first glimpse of what it is like to link another family eternally to ours. Because both U.S. Navy families had spent a lot of time in Hawaii while the kids were growing up, our second son Rommel and Abigail chose to use Hawaiian flowers and celebrate their marriage with a festival of classical and indigenous island spiritual music. As part of the marriage ceremony, and during the reception, the newly-weds read love letters they have written to their parents, a celebration of “giving back” to us in a very dear way.

What an emotional surprise!

Our youngest son Randy and

Valerie’s wedding in the beloved old homeland – the Philippines - was marked by serendipity; Randy chose one of his high school best friends to be his best man, Valerie asked her sister from Dubai to be her main brides’ maid. The reception took place in a beautiful garden of a wellknown hotel in the local area. The couple desired to shift emphasis for that evening away from themselves and to God who had so abundantly blessed them at this special time of unity. Strangers did stand and share that they had prayed for the person that Valerie would marry. What a heritage to know that person was our son, Randy! And certainly, what shared power to bring your extended family and friends in to the celebration!

As you build into your children the concept of heralding joy and teach them to plan for others’ enjoyment as well, I say a priceless

Filipina American Named Top Cancer Advocate in California

As

State

advocacy affiliate, Jamie Escoto will play a pivotal role in helping reduce the cancer burden in the state

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Jamie

Escoto, a Filipina American living in Los Angeles, officially assumed her role as State Lead Ambassador (SLA) during the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Ambassador Summit, held on February 6 at the LGBT Center in San Francisco.

“Jamie Escoto is a volunteer with exceptional dedication and commitment to advocating for policies that provide everyone a just and fair opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer. She consistently goes above and beyond to empower and mobilize fellow volunteers and her community. It is an honor to pass the baton to such a deserving leader,” said P. Kay Coleman, former California SLA. Among Escoto’s duties as the

top ACS CAN ambassador in the state are building a strong working relationship with California’s U.S. Senators, helping set goals and priorities for volunteers across the state and being a visible statewide volunteer leader on all advocacy issues.

“Our legislators play a critical role in reducing the cancer burden for all Californians. This year, we are urging them to increase access to the Every Woman Counts program, which helps thousands of women get potentially lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings and any follow-up care,” said Escoto.

ACS CAN continually advocates for local, state, and federal policies that protect people from tobaccorelated diseases, an issue very close to Escoto’s heart. Close to 17 percent

of Filipino American men and over 9 percent of Filipino American women smoke cigarettes, according to the National Health Interview Survey 2006-2018.

“I got addicted to smoking menthol and clove cigarettes when I was 16 years old. I smoked for over ten years,” she said. “And I lost my dad, papa Jimmy, to lung cancer. I find solace in being able to honor his legacy by working to reduce the suffering and death caused by cancer. He is my inspiration, and my kids are my engine.”

Follow @forpapajimmy on TikTok to learn more about Escoto’s cancer advocacy work. For more information on how ACS CAN advocates for cancer patients, survivors and their families on the local, state and federal levels, visit: FightCancer.org/CA.

gift comes to you.

As a family, we do proclaim not only the ordinary but the extraordinary with a deep sense of abiding love.

And of course, everything we do or don’t do is a model for our children. We can’t fool kids. They are aware of our attitudes at levels we don’t even observe sometimes ourselves. Children mimic their parents and decide what they want or don’t want to be based upon what they see in us.

Subconsciously they pick up our habits and actions and pass them down from generation to generation. The old story about the young bride cutting off the ends of her ham before she put it in the baking dish always amuses me. When her husband asked her why she did it, she said, “Because I always saw my mother do it.” When his mother-in-law came

over for dinner, he asked her why she always cut the ends of her ham before she baked it. “Because my mother always did it,” she replied. Finally, Grandma came over for dinner and the young groom asked her why she always cut the ends of her ham before she baked it. Giving him a weird look she said, “Because I only had one baking dish and the ham wouldn’t fit in it.”

Ha-ha-ha-ha! Isn’t that funny?

Ha-ha-ha-ha!!

Logic doesn’t always play a part in our actions, if I may say it, too. If our parents did it, we frequently assume it’s what we’re supposed to do. Accepting without questioning is the basis of most modeling, and it starts at a very early age.

As the prominent Baltimore child advocate Sadie Ginsberg noted, “Children learn first and best from their families. Just as by the end of the second year their language is that of the people with whom they live, so their behavior is stamped with the seal of their adult protectors.”

So, realizing how much our children absorb from our actions and attitudes, I say we must all not only serve as good models for our children but also surround them with friends, peers, and associates who provide good models also. What kinds of guest do we invite into our homes to share their lives with our observant children? Do we expose them to a wide variety of people with various levels of professional, career, financial, spiritual, intellectual, social, political, and personal commitments? Or do we try to teach them that our way is the only way?

Conclusively, when trouble comes – there is no doubt about it that your family is what you’ve got! Conflicts come in all families. Situations and people change. Things we count on don’t materialize and people we trust let us down.

Divorce, emotional and physical abandonment, leaving home, coming back, death – all take their toll on the family unit. The “if onlys” start. If only they had done things differently…or if alcohol hadn’t been encouraged at home… or if only father or mother hadn’t worked all the time…!

What went wrong? Who’s to blame? What do we do now?

Surviving the storms that come our way will be the greatest test of the strength of the family ties. Can you forgive and start over? Can you trust? Now more than ever before, absolute truth is required. Family ties once tested or even severed with

hatred and resentment can be rebuilt with love and forgiveness. Broken families can be put back together, but probably the new one will be different from the original.

Families are full of flawed people. We all have shortcomings, but that doesn’t mean the family needs to be destroyed. Our survival comes when we adapt to meet the needs of the new family situation.

What say you?

For my family circle, and in the all-important world of family relations, three words are almost as powerful as the “I love you.” They are “Maybe you’re right.” Ha-haha-ha!

Got the drift of what I am trying to say here?

Don’t compare your family relationships to ours or to others and devalue what you have. Often the family tree spreads its roots deeper into the soil and grows into an unusual form. Enjoy your family regardless of the shape of your family tree. I say revitalize your family, find enjoyment in it, and increase your love for each other.

Absolutely, the family is crucial to the future of our youth and society. We must learn tolerance and flexibility. God has joined you together. Your family is family forever!

On this Valetine’s Day 2024, I trust you – my dear folks – and your family look back on your times together with fond remembrances. I hope that every day you are making memories together, not only for yourself, but for future generations. Do share your fame with younger generations, for your past is part of their identity.

They may not yet appreciate it, but trust me, they will someday. Your job isn’t to make them appreciate memories. Your task is to preserve those remembrances in some form so that they can be shared with future generations.

Your family is a gift, if I must conclude this article -- a source of pleasure, concern, and emotional support. You may not have a “perfect family” but you can have a h-a-p-p-y family. Love comes in every shape and style. As the American author and educator Jane Howard once said, “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” Cheers!

Celebrate your love!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Mabuhay!!

(Fourth from Left) are shown with

(Second from Left) receiving the

"THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS": The author and his wife Zeny's wedding picture of 26 December 1970

Dear Readers,

needs

caregivers, delivery

for a job,

give them a copy of the Filipino Press for job opportunities. Some jobs may not yet be posted, so you may visit our website at www.thefilipinopress. com or email at filpressads@aol.com. We are here to help you our kababayans find jobs, opportunities and connect you to resources that you may need. Thank you

Parks and Recreation department appreciate our partnership with Forever Balboa Park,” says Andy Field, Director, Parks and Recreation Department. “This agreement will allow for improved collaboration in our combined efforts to maintain and improve Balboa Park and serves as a model for a successful private/public collaboration that augments what the city is able to do with its resources.”

“This agreement represents the culmination of a longterm collaboration between our organization, the city, and the hundreds of San Diego volunteers who care deeply about Balboa Park

Continued from page

because governments can change. What is built to last is some of the biggest companies in the world recognizing the value of the content they’re using, through compensating journalists with revenue from ads run by sharing that news. I think it’s the best-case scenario.”

U.S. tech content bills

These bills set an international precedent for two similar U.S. tech-content bargaining bills: the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (S-1094) currently in Congress on the federal level and the Journalism Protection Act (AB-886) in California, which is set to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee around early June.

Brittney Barsotti, General Counsel of the California Newspaper Publishers Association tracking media bills including AB 886, said despite criticisms that tech compensation will simply benefit hedge funds or large national news organizations, “We have around 450 publications throughout California and over 90% are small businesses… the money

and its importance to a healthy and vibrant community,” says Elizabeth C. Babcock, PhD, President and CEO of Forever Balboa Park. “This new agreement strengthens and streamlines Forever Balboa Park’s ability to improve the park, while deepening the investment and commitment that San Diegans make to our city through volunteerism.”

“Forever Balboa Park is delighted by the strong support offered by Mayor Gloria and the Parks and Recreation team, who recognize the importance of close collaboration between San Diego’s nonprofit community and the city,” says Doug Kerner, Chair of Forever Balboa Park’s Board of Trustees. “Together, we are investing in Balboa Park, one of the unique

they’d get is based on how much content is displayed; it’s not a link tax.”

Regardless, she continued, due to the Dormant Commerce Clause and the First Amendment, “we can’t do content-based deals,” e.g. for ethnic media specifically. However, tweaks to the bill like headcount-based money distribution and guaranteed minimums for small publishers could mitigate these concerns.

“Some advocate for philanthropy, but we’d need up to $1.75 billion to adequately supply local news nationwide,” Barsotti added. “It won’t solve the crisis, because the crisis is based on major platforms dominating ad space.”

Ethnic media on surviving the crisis

Martha Aszkenazy — owner and publisher of the bilingual and over century-old San Fernando Valley Sun for the past 21 years — said due to this domination, “since the day that I’ve owned the paper, it’s always been a struggle.”

“I rely primarily on display ads, with 30% of these public notices,” she continued. “We’re free partly because the community I serve doesn’t have that extra money, but if I’m still

assets of our community that make this city exceptional.”

Forever Balboa Park Forever Balboa Park is the leading nonprofit organization partnering with the City of San Diego, community organizations, and the public to enhance all 1,200 acres of Balboa Park. Its focus is to sustain the park’s legacy, enrich its many assets, and collaborate with park stakeholders to envision and execute initiatives that benefit both residents and visitors for decades to

generating money for the platforms that share us, I want my fair share.”

“It’s hard for people on those platforms to figure out what’s true or fake news, because it’s only through external media that fake news is addressed,” said Cora Orie, publisher and president of the fully ad-dependent national Filipino publication Asian Journal. “We are the guardians of the truth in our society, and truth will die with our demise.”

Nakia Cooper — Bayou Beat News publisher, Houston Association of Black Journalists president and Houston Ethnic Media communications director — said while print publications in particular are fighting to survive, “I have a digital outlet with Bayou too — but as a local Black publisher, I’m still a little guy against the big guys. Big advertisers talk about inclusive, equitable support and come to local news when they need us, but I haven’t seen that support.”

“They say everyone has a voice, but it’s the age of misinformation — especially on these digital platforms,” she added. “What are we doing to make sure journalists trained to vet misinformation are players in the game?”

Will the Senate Pass an Expanded Child Tax Credit to Help 19 Million Low-Income Children?

D-Oregon, who with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Missouri, structured the proposed plan.

The

EMS: Could you explain the provisions of the measure?

Chuck Marr: The Child Tax Credit has been around for a few decades, and over time, and it’s fully available to middle-class and higher-income families.

But we still have 19 million children whose parents work for low wages. And because their earnings are not high enough, they do not get the full child tax credit. So 19 million kids, the kids who stand to benefit the most, actually get the least.

The child tax credit right now is basically upside down. And it needs to be turned right side up. And so this bill makes good progress. It It doesn’t fix everything, but it makes real progress.

Even with this small package, you’re helping 1 in 3 black children, 1 out of 3 Latino children, and 1 in 7 Asian American and White children.

EMS: So how does this work?

CM: It moves low-income families

to a per child phase in, which is so important. Right now, throughout the population, 70 percent of kids live in families with two or more children. So this is a really big benefit. And then also the special lower cap for lowincome families, this gets rid of that.

So those are two big changes.

And then there’s a third piece, which is very important. Low-income people who work in low-wage jobs don’t tend to get sick days. They don’t get leave when their elderly parent gets sick. Higher income people, middleclass people, they tell their employer:

‘You know, I got to take a couple of weeks off here. I got to help out.’ Low income people, they get fired for doing things like that.

Three Big Changes

So this bill says, OK, a low income person goes to file their taxes. Last year, they worked quite a bit. This year they’re working less. Maybe someone had a baby. Right. Maybe they’re caring for an elderly parent. Maybe their hours were cut.

So they get to take a choice. They would choose between this year’s earnings, or last year’s, to calculate

their child tax credit.

Those are really the three big changes. And again, it’s that per child that’s the major driver. If you have a single mom who makes, she has a toddler and a second grader, right? She works as a home health aide part-time around her kids’ school schedules. And she makes $15,000. Right now, she gets about $1,800 in child tax credit, right, far below the $4,000 that a higher income family would get. So with this bill, she’s going to get another $1,700. So not quite to $4,000, but to $3,600.

EMS: For low-income families, why is this being offered as a credit at the end of the year, rather than a direct subsidy, which could help a lot of families month by month?

CM: If you think back during the pandemic, that one year where there really was a major expansion, child poverty was cut in half. That’s what we need to get back to. You know, that was just historic. And it’s so sad that that expired. That was when they when they went month to month. And that really helped provide stability for families. Something goes wrong. You still can help pay your bills. This proposal does not do that. This is 1/12 of the size of the pandemic package.

I think the idea here is that let’s do what we can now in this package. And then in 2025, when all the Trump tax cuts expire, let’s try to block the tax cuts for the highest income people. And let’s try to go back to that really large expansion of the child tax credit, including that monthly delivery.

EMS: This is being framed as a bi-partisan bill. Would you agree with that framing?

CM: You wish that both sides would just want to help low-income children. But sadly, that’s not the case.

So this is a trade, where Republicans are pushing for a series of corporate tax breaks. And then Democrats pushing more for the child tax credit. And it’s a negotiated settlement: a dollar of corporate for a dollar of helping lowincome children.

Some from the far right are raising issues of of what the effect on work would be. And I think that’s very silly. I mean, the idea that a single mom who’s working is going to give up a job that pays $25,000 a year just so she can keep $2,000 is ridiculous to me.

This bill is intended to deal with the volatility of earnings and life circumstances. People have children. Their parents get sick. It helps provide some stability.

Spiritual Life

Personal thoughts on age and aging

At this time of my life, my thoughts revolved around my children and grandchildren, when I’m not busy doing other things in the community. I try to keep track of their activities, although my husband and I live independently from them. When I decided to live in our own apartment, I thought that it was the best arrangement. But now, I am having second thoughts. I would like to see my children more often, to interact with them and to share their joys and challenges. I would like to live with anyone of them. But one of my daughters said, “Mama, you are welcome to transfer to our house and occupy the guest room that we have reserved for you and Dad. But you have to transfer with only your essentials” I realized I was not emotionally ready to give up my independence and my worldly goods. So here I am often reminiscing and trying to delay aging and doing the things I am doing to prevent the onset of dementia.

I’ve always been conscious that my body is the temple of God. I tried my best to embrace a healthy life style. So people tend to perceive that I look younger than my age, which of course flatters me no end. I attend meetings, engage in multi-level marketing of a breakthrough age defying skin

My Personal Testimony

cream, Nerium AD and distribute Healthy Coffee, and still remain as the avid community volunteer. I admit that I am aging and I simply embrace contentment, enjoy the company of my friends, and spend my energy in purposeful activities. A woman author shared these thoughts on how we can make peace of who we are. (1) Embrace health. We may not be able to control age’s gravity, but we can commit to living wisely, we can eat nutritious food, exercise and seek to keep short accounts with friends and family. (2) Push against our culture’s superficial tyranny of beauty. We can defy the trend that glorifies youth and devalues anything less than perfection. Since God created us all, we are all beautiful people. (3) Be mindful of eternity. Whenever I worry about my looks, I think of heaven and the fact that this body won’t remain

– that a new body will replace it. Paul describes the anticipation believers should have. “We look not at the things which are seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ (2 Cor. 4-18).

Let’s be less consumed with a body that is fading and more consumed with the consuming fire of God’s testing. Let’s strive to live a life worthy of Jesus’ words. “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Let us value faithfulness over youthfulness, our service over our looks. Godly people are content with how they look.

AS a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, I am learning to be alive in the moment, to rejoice for the breath that fills my lungs, and thankful for the years the Lord has given me thus far. Thanks for being able to reflect on this subject matter too. Amen

Situational ethics

Lord, who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart. (Psalm 15:1-2)

"I cannot believe they are not going to honor my bonus agreement," said the executive who was about to take another position in a new city. Her understanding of her present work agreement called for a bonus at the end of the year. Management saw the situation differently. "It's not right. I am entitled to that bonus," she complained.

It was time to leave. The company had given her a laptop to use. However, when she left, she decided that because the company was not going to pay her the bonus she was entitled to, she would simply keep the laptop as compensation due her. "And they would never miss it," she reasoned. She was now in the employment of the new company. As each day passed, she grew uneasier about her decision. She could not get it off her mind. Finally, she concluded that the Holy Spirit was telling her this decision was wrong and that she needed to call her former

Danny Hernaez From Whom

All Blessings Flow

boss to confess her action. She called him and confessed what she had done and why she had done it. Her boss accepted her confession and forgave her. Strangely enough, he allowed her to keep the laptop computer. Truth never changes. It is absolute. When we make decisions based on other actions that are taken, we move into making decisions based on the situation, not truth and righteousness. The executive may indeed have been wronged, but she had to address the wrong in the appropriate way. Trying to compensate for the wrong by doing something that violates another scriptural principle is called situational ethics. If the employer had never wronged the executive, do you think she would have felt justified in taking the computer? Probably

not. When you isolate the two situations, you see that one action was taken in response to the other action. Have you had any experiences in which you have used situational ethics? The Lord desires His people to have a higher standard, even at the cost of being wronged. Ask the Lord to reveal any business practices that may indicate situational ethics. You might be surprised what will happen when you do the right thing.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross. However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth. Christ's death gave liberty. Forgiveness came to all men. New life came forth - new strength for the disciples. Resurrection and new life came as a result of a "defeat."

In the past Sundays, we heard how the preaching and miracles of Jesus drew large crowds. This Sunday, the gospel speaks on how he touched and healed a leper (Mark 1:40-45). With seeming disregard for the restrictions of the Jewish laws, he manifested a power that was beyond physical healing. This tells us about the reality behind the form of a sacrament. The visible gesture (of touching), accompanied by the words signifies God’s invisible grace that saves and sanctifies.

Let us consider the dialogue between Jesus and the leper who was later healed. The leper said “If you wish, you can make me clean.” This was the leper’s earnest appeal: “If you wish.” At that time, no Jew would approach a person with leprosy. Lepers were considered unclean, i.e., unfit to mingle and to worship, and leprosy was considered a punishment for disobedience to God’s commands (Num. 12:1215; 2 Kings 5:27; 15:5). Thus, Jewish laws restricted people from interacting with them. In the First Reading (Lev. 13:1-2, 44-46), we see the legal requirements for lepers: to “dwell apart, outside the camp” and to have rent garments, shaved heads and covered beards as signs of death, penance and mourning (Lev. 10:6; Ez. 24:17). 2. “I do will it. Be made clean.

However, because of the amazing faith, courage and humility of the leper moved Jesus to do what was considered unthinkable: “He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean’.” Here was something new in Israel! The Law restricted the Jews from coming

Isang katutubong salita ang ating bigyan pansin at suriin

Salitang magbibigay linaw sa ating mga layunin

Kung sa ikabubuti ng pamilya at bayan ang ating hangarin Kasabihang BAYANIHAN ay dapat intindihin at palaganapin. Simple lamang ang kahulugan ng salitang

Bayanihan Ang tayo aay magkabuklod-buklod at magtutulungan

Di ba’t anumang gawain ay gumaan-gaan Kung tayo ay nagkakaisa at nagbabalikatan.

Hango sa salitang “Bayan” ang puso ng Bayanihan

Sapagkat ang pagunlad ng Bayan ay nangyayari mangyayari lamang

Kung nagkakaisa ang mga namamahala at ang mga mamamayan

Na ang dapat isulong ang interes ng bayan at hindi ang sariling kapakanan.

Hango rin naman sa Bayanihan

into contact with lepers because they were deemed unclean. Here, however, we see Jesus, the holy One touching the leper, the impure one, thereby conquering his leprosy and healing him immediately. We see the power of the touch and words of Jesus which were symbolic off what the Church teaches about the sacrament. The visible gesture of touching, accompanied by the words “Be made clean”, signifies God’s invisible grace that saves and sanctifies.

Surprisingly, Jesus instructed the leper to “tell no one anything.” He did not want the people to focus on him alone but instead wanted them to see the awesomeness of God, who saves and sanctifies them through the healing that he performed. As proof that the healing was indeed God’s work, he sent the leper to the priest who would admit him to join in the Jewish worship. The leper, however, could not contain himself. “He went away and began to publicize the whole matter.” As a result, “people kept coming to Jesus from everywhere.”

St. Paul was once a “leper,” when he did not encounter Jesus on the way when He was converted by the

ang salitang Bayani Bawat tao ay nabibigyan ng pagkakataong maging bayani

Kapag ang buhay ay ialay sa isang matayog na hangarin para sa bayan

At pairalin ang Bayanihan upang makamtan ang dakilang layunin.

Sa pamilya araw-araw ay ating namamalas at nararanasan

Kabutihan at Kaligayahan na dulot ng Bayanihan

Mga magulang at mga anak ay nagkakaisa at nagtutulungan Harapin ang mga pagsusubok, para mapabuti ang katayuan.

Ang tao ay hindi nabubuhay

para sa sarili lamang

Ang ating mga kapwa ay ating mga kasama

Anong ganda ng mundong ito, kung sa diwa ng Bayanihan

Ang lahat ay nagmamahalan at nagdadamayan!

At muli sa salitang Bayanihan

ay hango ang salitang “anihan”

Anuman ang ating pagtutulungang

gagawin ay may bunga na

power of the lightening. Touched by God’s mercy, he exhorts us in the Second Reading to do even the littlest things “for the glory of God . . . not seeking one’s own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 10:31-11:1). What little thing can we ourselves do? The Psalm suggests: “I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation” (Ps. 32: 1b-2, 5, 11). In his recent pastoral visit to the Ro Pope Francis had a similar invitation for us: “Let yourselves be healed by Jesus. We all have wounds, all of us: spiritual wounds, sins, enmities, jealousy.” He explained that the devil sows them; and only Jesus can casts out demons. For this healing, he stressed that Christians must open their hearts and turn to the Lord, so that He can come and “fill (their) hearts with the joy of salvation,” as the Psalm assures us.

Acknowledging his own need for God’s mercy, the Pope likewise tells us: “Be imitators of me.”

We will be entering into the holy season Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday this week. Let us make this forty days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving: the three ways that the Church encourages the faithful to do during this season as a propitious occasion to let Jesus touch us, let Him heal us in our conditions of uncleanness, sinfulness and selfishness so that we can be able proclaim, like the leper of this Sunday, the goodness and mercy of the Lord in the world that has gone from the consciousness of God’s existence and Jesus presence in our lives.

ating aanihin

Ang Bayanihan kapag dakila ang hangarin

Magdudulot ng Kaunlaran, Kapayapaan at Kaligayahan.

Huwag na huwag nating kalimutan sana Sa ating paglalakbay sa buhay ay hindi tayo nag-iisa Kaya upang ang tagumpay sa buhay ay makamtan Patuloy tayong makikipagtulungan sa diwa ng BAYANIHAN

Fr. Agustin T. Opalalic

Salvador S. Idos

of these revolutionary groups to be productive citizens in their communities, the "looming threat of legal repercussions" limits them from doing so.

“They are torn between their desire to turn a new leaf, on one hand, and be held accountable for their political mistakes, on the other,” he said.

Galvez was among the rebel soldiers who were granted amnesty by the late president Fidel V. Ramos for his involvement in the 1989 coup attempt against the late president Corazon Aquino.

Galvez said he and his co-officers experienced the "transformative power of amnesty" as they were not only forgiven by the state but were also reinstated in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and were able to continue their career in public service after their retirement in the military.

On Nov. 22, 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued

Proclamation Nos. 403, 404, 405, and 404 granting amnesty to members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army/ Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMPRPA-ABB), Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), respectively.

After this issuance, the House of Representatives on Dec. 15 last year approved four House Concurrent Resolutions (HCR) that granted amnesty to members of these revolutionary groups.

As contained under Section 19, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the President shall have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all members of Congress.

The granting of amnesty is also among the main confidence-building measures under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC)

local peace engagement framework, normalization program under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), transformation program for MNLF members, as well as the clarificatory implementing document signed between the government and the RPMP-RPAABB or KAPATIRAN.

Those who may file for amnesty include any member of the MILF, MNLF, RPMP-RPA/ABB, or former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF who have committed any act or omission in pursuit of their political beliefs, whether punishable under the Revised Penal Code or Special Penal Laws.

This includes those detained, charged, or convicted for such acts or omissions.

“Former members/rebels” refers to members of the CPP-NPA-NDF or their front organizations who have decided to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law.

The application for amnesty must specifically state the acts that were committed and are covered by these amnesty proclamations. (MNS)

PECHANGA RESORT CASINO: NAKAKITA NG DALAWANG MAJOR AWARDS SA LOOB NG ISANG LINGGO

--Nanalo ang Pechanga bilang

#1 Best Casino mula sa Newsweek at nag-handog ng “Athlete on Another Level” award sa star-studded Unforgettable Gala –

Matindi talaga ang kompetisyon kapag inisip mo na may halos

2,000 casinos sa buong America, kasama na ang mga nasa Las Vegas at New Jersey. Ang Pechanga Resort Casino na nasa Temecula California ay nahirang kamakailan na #1 Casino sa labas ng Las Vegas mula sa mga mambabasa ng Newsweek magazine. Nababasa sa buong Amerika, ang publikasyon na ito ay humiling sa kanilang mga mambabasa na i-ranggo ang kanilang top 10 non-Vegas casinos sa isang online poll. Kasama sa kompetisyon ang mga establisado nang mga lugar tulad ng Reno, Nevada, ang South, Southeast, Pacific Northwest at iba pa sa Southern California.

Sa katapusan nga ng isang-buwan na voting period, Pechanga Resort Casino ang matagumpay na nanalo. Maraming rason kung bakit gustong-gustong pinupuntahan ang Pechanga Resort Casino ng kanilang mga kliyente, kabilang na

ang pagiging non-smoking casino/ resort nito, mga hotel rooms na mamahalin ang histura pero abotkaya ang presyo, ang kalidad ng mga pagkain sa kanilang 12 restaurants, ang saya ng isang 24-hour casino, at ang nagdadamihang mga amenities na pwedeng ma-enjoy tulad ng The Cove pool oasis, Journey at Pechanga golf course, Spa Pechanga at marami pang iba.

“Ang mga pantimpalak na gaya ng sa Newsweek ay nagpapatutoo sa kalidad at serbisyo ng aming grupo na pinagsusumikapan naming maibigay araw-araw sa aming mga kliyente sa Pechanga Resort Casino”, sabi ni Ken Perez, Presidente ng Pechanga Development Corporation. “Nagpapasalamat kami sa lahat ng mga taong bumoto at nagbigay

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suporta sa amin.”

Ang mga mambabasa ng Orange County Register ay ibinoto din ang Pechanga Resort Casino bilang kanilang paboritong casino sa isang readers’ poll na ginanap noong bandang huli ng summer 2023.

Bago pa man nanalo bilang #1

Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas, nag-sponsor ang Pechanga Resort

Casino ng lumalaki at star-studded na Unforgettable Gala sa Beverly Hilton noong mid-December. Exclusive gaming sponsor ng Unforgettable Gala ang Pechanga Resort Casino mula pa noong 2013. Ang awards event na ito ay inihandog ng Character Media at dinaluhan ng mahigit sa 700 na API professionals at high-profile personalities. Simula pa noong 2018, inihahandog na ng Pechanga Resort Casino ang Athlete On Another Level Award sa mga natatanging atleta sa loob ng Asian at Pacific

Islander community. Nakakatanggap ng nominasyon ang mga atleta na nagpapakita ng bukod tanging galing sa larangan ng sports at nakakaya na lampasan ang mga matitinding pagsubok, pero sa kalaunan, isa lamang ang napipili sa prestihiyosong award. Ngayong taon, si Alison Lee, isang propesyonal na LPGA golfer, ang nanalo ng Pechanga Athlete On Another Level Award.

Sweet Spaghetti Sauce Tips

By FRANCINE m AIgu E

I fully respect that each Filipino household has their own special, sweet spaghetti sauce recipe. (And if ever you’d like to share a bowl…pa taste test na man po!) But here are some of my tips…ya know, just in case…

1. Saute your diced onions first (in olive oil is healthiest). Wait to add your minced garlic until your meat is already in your pot. Why? Because minced garlic cooks very quickly, and when garlic burns, it gives off a bitter taste. (You don’t want bitter in your sweet spaghetti.)

2. In our household, we use ground turkey and sliced turkey hot dogs in our spaghetti sauce. Using turkey brings down the cholesterol… Plus, it saves folks from gout. (Be careful, though…Some ground turkey is actually higher in fat than ground beef. Read your labels.) Season with

Prayer to Saint Expedite

May the intercession of the glorious martyr , St Expedite, recommend us, O my God, to Thy goodness, in order that his protection may obtain for us what our own merits are powerless to do.

Amen.

We supplicate Thee, Lord , to inspire by Thy grace all our thoughts and actions, that thou being their principle, we may, by the intercession of St. Expedite, be conducted with courage, fidelity and promptitude, at the time proper and favorable, and come to a good and happy end, through our Lord, Jesus Christ Amen

St Expedite, honored by the gratitude of those who have invoked thee at the last hour and for pressing cases, we pray thee to obtain from the all powerful goodness of God, by the intercession of Mary Immaculate, (today or such a day) the grace we solicit with all submission to the Divine Will Amen

black pepper and some crushed red pepper, if you like a little kick. I, personally, also add in just a pinch of ground nutmeg.

3. Add in chopped green bell pepper. It gives it an extra layer of flavor and a touch of color. (Also, it makes the meal more nutritious… Shhhhh…Don’t tell the kids!)

4. If you like crushed, dried herbs to your sauce (e.g., oregano and basil), crush them further by rubbing your palms together, as you add them to your pot. This helps ensure that no one is going to bite (unpleasantly) into a large chunk of dried herbs. It also helps release the oils remaining in the leaves, so you get the maximum mm-

mm-goodness possible.

5. Once you’ve added your combo of choice of tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato ketchup and/or banana catsup to your pot, add a couple of dried laurel a.k.a. bay leaves, which will give your sauce a deeper flavor.

6. Ok, for the sweet in “sweet spaghetti,” we add some dark brown sugar. Adjust the amount of brown sugar you add depending on the sweetness of your tomato sauce, tomato ketchup and/or banana catsup.

7. Hold the salt (or soy sauce) until you’ve added your cheese. Too salty=Not Sweet Spaghetti and Too Salty=HighSodium=High Blood Pressure=911 (Not festive.)